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Azure Virtual Machines Overview

Azure Virtual Machines (VMs) provide on-demand, scalable computing resources. You can use Azure VMs to deploy and manage a wide range of computing solutions. With VMs, you have the flexibility of virtualization for a wide variety of computing workloads. Like a physical computer, you can run an operating system and applications on an Azure VM.

Key Concepts and Features

  • Compute Resources: VMs offer virtualized processing power, memory, and storage.
  • Operating Systems: Support for a wide array of Linux distributions and Windows Server versions.
  • Scalability: Easily scale your compute resources up or down based on demand.
  • Flexibility: Deploy workloads quickly and manage them with familiar tools.
  • Cost-Effectiveness: Pay only for the compute time you consume.

Use Cases

Azure VMs are ideal for a variety of scenarios, including:

  • Running applications in the cloud
  • Developing and testing applications
  • Extending your datacenter to the cloud
  • Hosting websites and web applications
  • Running high-performance computing (HPC)
  • Managing big data analytics

Getting Started

To get started with Azure Virtual Machines, you'll typically need to:

  1. Create an Azure Account: If you don't have one, sign up for a free Azure account.
  2. Choose a VM Size: Select a VM size that matches your performance and memory requirements.
  3. Select an Operating System: Choose from a gallery of Linux or Windows images.
  4. Configure Networking: Set up virtual networks, subnets, and public IP addresses.
  5. Deploy your VM: Create and start your virtual machine instance.

Azure VM Quickstart: For a guided experience, try the Azure VM Quickstart tutorial to create your first Linux or Windows VM.

Start Quickstart »

Additional Resources

Azure Virtual Machines offer a powerful and flexible platform for your computing needs. Explore the documentation to learn more about specific features and configurations.